Afghan War Rugs -
History and Art
Recent years have seen a rise in the interest in old
tribal rugs. Afghan War Rugs are very important in the history and
development of rug weaving and are notably unique items of ethnic art.
These rugs are an artistic narrative, a picture record of one last
act of aggression carried out by the Soviet Union during its
history; an event which was to contribute towards the fall of the
Soviet empire and the subsequent change in direction of world
affairs.

Come Sample
Our Selection of Afghan Rugs

The commercial production of war rugs has been
successful and finds a ready market, mainly in Europe and the
USA. This has encouraged the weavers to produce new styles of
war rugs - responding to the politics of the region. One notable
range has been the ‘Alliance’ war rugs, showing designs of
British/American military equipment, textual messages and war
scenes, similar to those we see on Afghan War rugs. With the
current world interest in all things ‘Afghanistan’ war rugs have
become popular and desirable items to own, or collect. Market
prices for them are bound to rise as they are given a broader
exposure in the world of collecting. Furthermore, each rug can
be seen as an individual portrayal of War, seen or experienced
by tribal people and woven into history, mainly by the womenfolk
of Afghanistan. Cumulatively they represent an irreplaceable
record of a major 20th century event, expressed through the art
of weaving.

Below is a small sample of the Afghan War rugs in our store; click on a rug
for a larger image.